Draft-gear.



J. F. GOURSON.

DRAFT GEAR. y

' APPLICATION FILED-Nov. 22,1913.-

19121482, l l Patented Dec. 15,1914.

2 snBBTs-SHEET 1.

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6. 0/ (y 1f i 15 M Jp?. o'oURsoN.

DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22,1913.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.v

gear of simple 41 rounding friction members,

, 'runs'i-ATES PATENT i @FFICE JOHN ne coussolmoF rrTcArnN, PENNSYLVANIA..

` DMT-GEAR."

mames.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it knownthat I, JOHN F. QoURsoN, a i citizen lof vthe United States, f residingat4 Rit-g.

cairn, in the county of Allegheny andvState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements' in'DrafteGrears,

of which the lfollowing is a specification.

` My invention consists of an improvement in friction draftgears'for railway cars, etc.,

vand it hasfor itsobjectto provide `a draft construction and high" efficiency designed to utilize the wedging and releasing 'qualities of wedge blocks: arranged'.

members and the Casin ,"by the coperating'l action of opposing "we gemembers adapted to equalize and' multiply 'the 'strain and to ltransform it into 'friction'al' resistance,

revenly throughout'the length of the friction'- creating members.

' The present' invention is 'somewhat simi# lar tof'that of my prior patent- 'ofAug."12,

1913, No. 1070229,thepresentconstruction".

ofl friction-creating mechanism embodying certain features of differences threover the construction, of the' friction" creating elements, the wedge' actuated "carriers therefor, ,the movable 'friction-"creating elements themselves, and'other features o .construc-l tion and improvement," asfshall-be more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings' iilustrating'the invenltion,-Figure*1 1s a central vertical "sec- Wia'peiisgcective detailview offone offthef tional viewy of; thecomp'lete draft gear' as" l sembled, 'Ithe parts being'shownr` in egtendedf" zsifti'on, th' vsection being"daiyufhi i the pulling" effect ofthe draft gear and'iin-l 1 part it to said .sills,'while similar rearl stops^-=' ine L-I'Of llig.-Y 2; Fig: 2 vis a horizontal sectionalview'of the e indicatedfby the une n n bf Figi; rig.v

" iialfvievs'f, showing-*a 'modifiedf con'J flair? scti Specication of Letters Patent.

. against ar, the section being.

Patented Dee. 15,1914.

Application led November 22, 1913. A Serial No.1'802,41'0'.

tionistnipsi used in the construction of Figs.

1, 2 andef.- Fig: 6 is la similar view show-v lng: a strip as used `inthe' construction of Fig.:v 4. Fig: 7 is asimilar view,l showing o nefof the wedge actuated friction shoe carr1ers.-. B 1g. 8 1s :a similar view,` showing one lof the expanding `wedge'blocks, which-icoco` Y operate with the'central wedge'block and"v the friction shoe carrier. Fig: 9 is 'asimilar view' of. 'the inner. central-:expanding wedge.: Figir10 (Sheet 2)" is apartial longitudinal-verticalsectional view, similar to Fig; 1,3' showing'V a 1modi'edl'construction of the friction'shoe carriers and friction strips.

Fig. 11 is a cross: sectional! view, indicated by the line XI-X1 of Fig. l0. Fig.v 12 is a sectional'view, similarto Fig. 10, vshowing mfurther 'modified construction vof the-frictron.l membersu Fig.. 13 iis a cross sectional View, indicated bythelline XIII-XIII of FigurlQ. F1g'.; 14 is'aperspective detail vlewof y.one ofy the' wedge actuated friction shoefcarriers'used 'in theconstruction of Figs.vx 10 andpll. Fignl is a'similar'view of'onewof the frictionI 'strips used therewith.-

Figs. l'isfa similar dtail view of'a friction shoe carrier used'w'ith thefriction members inthe construction ofl Figs.- 12 and '13. Fig. 17 is -asimilar view of one of the friction members-used therewith.

v In 'the drawings, @represents the `diawbar of ya couplerv ixedly connected with the yoke 3 by .transverse bolts 4 'in the manner customarydn'fthis art,said 'yoke embracing the l casing @cylinder 5 at'top and 'bottomy as shown,=the1yoke and'casingbeing located ,A begangenen-'jor piece fris .preferably i set'lagain'st'ithe rear'. endofcylinder 5,

who outer -end of which block bears' the rounded 'end '8 .of yoke'f with an'interthe' end 'of the yoker" jTh'eLfront stops "x10-extend inwardly? from posed filling block l9,'iprefe'rably-securedto 10 actl to"rec'eiye and impart buiingstrains inI4 the' same manner.'

Adisposed wed los as to produce a maximum expansion with resulting free release.

lVedge block 11 extends forwardly and bears by itsmain body portion against front follower plate 14:, which plate in turn engages the rear end of drawbar 2 between the arms of yoke 3. Y

The expanding wedge blocks 13 are provided with outer faceswhich engage the inner faces of corresponding friction shoe members or carriers 15, the wedge blocks '13 having at their forward portions inwardly disposed angle faces 16 adapted to co-act with the wedge faces 12 of the front central wedge 11, and outer straight faces 17, substantially parallel with they axial center of the gear, adapted tosengage the inner co-acting straight faces 2O of the friction shoe carriers 15.

The friction shoe members or carriers 15, for each :expanding wedge block 13, are preferably cylindrically rounded at their outer portions, conforming generally to the curvature oftheinner surface of casing 5, and are provided with annular recesses 18 and corresponding limiting shoulders, for the reception of friction'members 19, having corresponding intel-fitting extensions 19. These friction members may be in the form of strips having outer rounded surfaces, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 yand 5, and

,they may have V-shaped ribs 19* for interiitting engagement with correspondingly' shaped V-shaped grooves 19", as in Figs. 4 and G, with interiitting inwardly Aextending lugs or abutments 19h, for longitudinal engagement with the friction shoe carriers.

In the construction shown on Sheet 2 of the drawings, the friction members may consist of longitudinal strips 19c interlitting with the friction shoe carriers 15, provided with limiting projecting collars or ribs 15b and intervening receiving recesses 18", for

reception and engagement of strips 19, as shown in Figs. 10, 11, 14' and 15. The friction members may also be made in the form of annularly arranged segmental shoes 19e, adapted to seat in receiving cavities 18e of friction shoe carriers 15e, asin the construction shown' in Figs. 12, 13, 16 and 17.

The inner formation of the friction shoe carriers, the expanding wedge blocks, the 'central wedge and the various other parts arel the same as those heretofore described, and are referred to by corresponding numerals.

1n all of the constructions, the friction shoe members or carriers 15 are shown as provided with the inner longitudinally straight faces 20, substantially parallel with the axial center of the gear, and with the outer faces of the shoes, and of the friction members, yand the casing, and I have secured good results with such construction. The friction members 15 are provided with inseries of rearwardly disposed .wedge faces 24 respectively, adapted to engage wedge faces 22 of the friction members 15, as clearly shown. Wedge 23 makes direct abutting, non-wedging engagement by' its .front end against the rear ends of expanding wedges 13, 13, and is thus forced inwardly in buifing at the same rate of travel,

or is maintained stationary, in pulling, infg@ uniformity with the expanding wedges 13. Wedges 13 and 23 thus constitute a continuous longitudinal wedge of unvarying length.

The resultg'of this arrangement is that as, wedges 13 are forced inwardly they force wedge 23 -inwardly to the same degree, and as wedges 13 are expanded to press the front portions of friction members 15 outwardly, the wedge 23 positively expands the inner portion of the friction members to the same degree. 'his is equally true either in buliing or pulling, because the relation of the wedges longitudinally is unvarying, due to their abut-ting engagement.

Bufling spring mechanism of any suitableA or preferred construction, as an outer spring 25, an inner spring 26, and an interposed shell 27, is interposed between the rearmost inner ends of the friction shoe carriers 15 and the inner end of casing 5, for the pun' pose of opposing inward movement of the friction mechanism, and of reti-acting it to normal position upon the cessation of either builing or pulling strains. The spring mechanism does not per se form any essential portion of the present invention, and is substantially similar to that shown in my prior application filed Sept. 11, 1913, Se. rial No. 789279.

The operation of the gear will be readily understood from the foregoing description. In compressing the gear, the members 13 will. have a .slight longitudinal movement with relation to members 15, wedge 23 being moved inwardly to the same degree the parts, however, being maintained in tight engagement throughout at every stage of the operation, whatever the pressure may be, in' either buiing or pulling. The expanding action of wedges 11 and 23 is thus transmitted directly and throughthe interposedfriction shoe carriers 15 to the fric-f tion elements 19, etc., whatever their form may be. These elements, or shoes, being mounted in their wedge actuated carriers, and Vin fixed engagement therewith as to ylongitudinal travel, will, of course, move with their frictional carriers inwardly on buiing, or will be maintained against forward travel of the surrounding casing 5,

, under expansion of the wedge mechanism in A pulling.

Byreason of the exertion of-the expanding wedge mechanism, at each end portion ofthe friction shoe carriers, thecarriers and their shoes will be pressed outwardly V*through their entire length, co-extensive with the extent of the carriers, thereby effecting a uniform degree of frictional engagement. with the inner face of the casing co-extensive with the longitudinal area of Contact. f

It will be observed that, upon inward movement of the central wedge member, in bufiing, o r upon reverse movement of casing 5, in pulling, against the resisting action of f said wedge member and its follower 14, en-

gaging stops 10, lateral separating movement of the wedge members 13 will occur simultaneously with their movement or opposiition to the inner wedge member 23, and that said Wedge member 23 is thus moved inwardly, effecting separation of the inner :wedge portions of carriers 15. These car- 1 riers are thus forced inwardly by the effect contacting portions of the gear. This is of great importance and advantage, equalizing the resistance, effecting its steady accumulation and resulting efliciency, while at the same time providing for equal cessation of `the frictional engagement upon collapsing of the Wedge resistance at each endmost portion of the friction mechanism.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing -description. The mounting of the friction shoe members, of either of the f'orms shown, upon their carrlers insures positive longitudinal movement upon actuation of the Wedging mechanism in either bufiing or pulling. The friction shoe members, being separately mounted on their carriers, are capable of easy renewal in case of wear, and may also be made of any suitable metal or material, securing the resulting frictional advantages. It will also be understood, of course, that the outer portions of the friction members 15 may be made to engage directly against the' inner surface of the casing, as is commonly done in other friction shoe construction. The wedge mechanism is normally maintained in operative position by the spring mechanism, so that the apparatus is always in condition for immediate application and utilization of the exerted forces.

It will be'understood that the construction may be changed or varied in proportions or details by the skilled mechanic, but that all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claim.

What I claim is:

` In a friction draft gear, the combination reet abutting engagement with the inner ends of the expanding Wedge blocks maintaining unvarying longitudinal relation thereto and provided with inner sloping faces engaging the inwardly extending wedge portions of the friction members, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. COURSON. IVitnesses:

C." M. CLARKE, FREDK STAUB. 

